Local gene transfer to calcified tissue cells using prolonged infusion of a lentiviral vector

The ER protein TLC domain 3B2 and its enzymatic product lactosylceramide enhance chondrocyte maturation

Purpose/Aim of study: We previously cloned Tlcd3b2 (Tram-Lag1-CLN8 domain 3B2, formerly Fam57b2) from bone fracture repair callus tissue of Cyp24a1 knockout mice and showed that it synthesizes lactosylceramide (LacCer) under allosteric control of the vitamin D metabolite, 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3]. Tlcd3b2 was mainly detected in chondrocytes and the 24,25(OH)2D3-TLCD3B2-LacCer signaling cascade was shown to be important for optimal bone fracture repair, suggesting a role for TLCD3B2 in chondrocyte differentiation or maturation. We report the subcellular localization of TLCD3B2 and its effect on chondrocyte differentiation. Materials and Methods: Immunofluorescence detection of epitope-tagged mutants was used to assess localization. ATDC5 chondrogenic cells were transfected with Tlcd3b2 expression vectors to examine effects on chondrocyte differentiation. Results and Conclusions: TLCD3B2 localized to the endoplasmic reticulum, with both the N- and C-termini facing the cytosolic compartment. Chondrogenic ATDC5 cells stably overexpressing Tlcd3b2 showed elevated type 2 (Col2a1) and type 10 (Col10a1) collagen gene expression and increased proteoglycan synthesis, and the effect on Col2a1 was enhanced by treatment with 24,25(OH)2D3. LacCer treatment of ATDC5 cells potentiated Col10a1 expression. Our results show that TLCD3B2 is an ER protein and implicate its expression and enzymatic product in chondrocyte maturation.

The effect of SERPINF1 in-frame mutations in osteogenesis imperfecta type VI

Osteogenesis imperfecta type VI is caused by mutations in SERPINF1, which codes for pigment-epithelium derived factor (PEDF). Most of the reported SERPINF1 mutations lead to premature termination codons, but three in-frame insertion or deletion mutations have also been reported. It is not clear how such in-frame mutations lead to OI type VI. In the present study we therefore investigated how SERPINF1 in-frame mutations affect the intracellular localization and secretion of PEDF. Skin fibroblasts affected by SERPINF1 in-frame mutations transcribed SERPINF1 at slightly reduced levels but secretion of PEDF was markedly diminished. Two deletions (p.F277del and the deletion of SERPINF1 exon 5) were associated with retention of PEDF in the endoplasmic reticulum and a stress response in osteoblastic cells. A recurrent in-frame duplication of three amino acids (p.Ala91_Ser93dup) appeared to lead to intracellular degradation but no retention in the endoplasmic reticulum or stress response. Immunofluorescence imaging in transiently transfected osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells suggested that PEDF affected by in-frame mutations was not transported along the secretory pathway. MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts stably overexpressing SERPINF1 with the p.Ala91_Ser93dup mutation had decreased collagen type I deposition and mineralization. Thus, the assessed homozygous in-frame deletions or insertions lead to retention or degradation within cellular compartments and thereby interfere with PEDF secretion.

Osteogenic cell cultures cannot utilize exogenous sources of synthetic polyphosphate for mineralization

Phosphate is critical for mineralization and deficiencies in the regulation of free phosphate lead to disease. Inorganic polyphosphates (polyPs) may represent a physiological source of phosphate because they can be hydrolyzed by biological phosphatases. To investigate whether exogenous polyP could be utilized for mineral formation, mineralization was evaluated in two osteogenic cell lines, Saos-2 and MC3T3, expressing different levels of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (tnALP). The role of tnALP was further explored by lentiviral-mediated overexpression in MC3T3 cells. When cells were cultured in the presence of three different phosphate sources, there was a strong mineralization response with β-glycerophosphate (βGP) and orthophosphate (Pi) but none of the cultures sustained mineralization in the presence of polyP (neither chain length 17-Pi nor 42-Pi). Even in the presence of mineralizing levels of phosphate, low concentrations of polyP (50 μM) were sufficient to inhibit mineral formation. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of apatite-like mineral deposits in MC3T3 cultures supplemented with βGP, but not in those with polyP. While von Kossa staining was consistent with the presence or absence of mineral, an unusual Alizarin staining was obtained in polyP-treated MC3T3 cultures. This staining pattern combined with low Ca:P ratios suggests the persistence of Ca-polyP complexes, even with high residual ALP activity. In conclusion, under standard culture conditions, exogenous polyP does not promote mineral deposition. This is not due to a lack of active ALP, and unless conditions that favor significant processing of polyP are achieved, its mineral inhibitory capacity predominates.

In vivo administration of dental epithelial stem cells at the apical end of the mouse incisor

Cell-based tissue regeneration is an attractive approach that complements traditional surgical techniques for replacement of injured and lost tissues. The continuously growing rodent incisor provides an excellent model system for investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie tooth renewal and regeneration. An active population of dental epithelial progenitor/stem cells located at the posterior part of the incisor, commonly called cervical loop area, ensures the continuous supply of cells that are responsible for the secretion of enamel matrix. To explore the potential of these epithelial cells in therapeutic approaches dealing with enamel defects, we have developed a new method for their in vivo administration in the posterior part of the incisor. Here, we provide the step-by-step protocol for the isolation of dental epithelial stem cells and their delivery at targeted areas of the jaw. This simple and yet powerful protocol, consisting in drilling a hole in the mandibular bone, in close proximity to the cervical loop area of the incisor, followed up by injection of stem cells, is feasible, reliable, and effective. This in vivo approach opens new horizons and possibilities for cellular therapies involving pathological and injured dental tissues.

The PTH-Gαs-protein kinase A cascade controls αNAC localization to regulate bone mass

The binding of PTH to its receptor induces Gα(s)-dependent cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation to turn on effector kinases, including protein kinase A (PKA). The phenotype of mice with osteoblasts specifically deficient for Gα(s) is mimicked by a mutation leading to cytoplasmic retention of the transcriptional coregulator αNAC, suggesting that Gαs and αNAC form part of a common genetic pathway. We show that treatment of osteoblasts with PTH(1-34) or the PKA-selective activator N(6)-benzoyladenosine cAMP (6Bnz-cAMP) leads to translocation of αNAC to the nucleus. αNAC was phosphorylated by PKA at serine 99 in vitro. Phospho-S99-αNAC accumulated in osteoblasts exposed to PTH(1-34) or 6Bnz-cAMP but not in treated cells expressing dominant-negative PKA. Nuclear accumulation was abrogated by an S99A mutation but enhanced by a phosphomimetic residue (S99D). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that PTH(1-34) or 6Bnz-cAMP treatment leads to accumulation of αNAC at the Osteocalcin (Ocn) promoter. Altered gene dosages for Gα(s) and αNAC in compound heterozygous mice result in reduced bone mass, increased numbers of osteocytes, and enhanced expression of Sost. Our results show that αNAC is a substrate of PKA following PTH signaling. This enhances αNAC translocation to the nucleus and leads to its accumulation at target promoters to regulate transcription and affect bone mass.

Control of Fiat (factor inhibiting ATF4-mediated transcription) expression by Sp family transcription factors in osteoblasts

FIAT (factor inhibiting ATF4-mediated transcription) represses Osteocalcin gene transcription and inhibits osteoblast activity by heterodimerizing with ATF4 to prevent it from binding DNA. It thus appears important to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms that control Fiat gene expression in osteoblasts. In silico sequence analysis identified a canonical GC-box within a 1,400 bp region of the proximal Fiat gene promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) with MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells nuclear extracts indicated that the transcription factors Sp1 and Sp3, but not Sp7/OSTERIX, bound this proximal GC-box. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed interaction of the two transcription factors with the Fiat promoter GC-element in living osteoblasts. Transient transfection studies showed that Sp1 dose-dependently activated the expression of a Fiat-luciferase reporter construct while both the long or short isoforms of Sp3 dose-dependently inhibited transcription from the Fiat reporter construct. Transfection of an Sp7/OSTERIX expression vector did not affect expression of the Fiat-luciferase reporter. Co-transfection of increasing amounts of the Sp3 expression vector in the context of maximal Sp1-dependent Fiat-luciferase activation led to dose-dependent repression of the expression of the reporter. Using RNA knockdown, we measured a reduction in steady-state Fiat expression when Sp1 was inhibited, and a reciprocal increase upon Sp3 knockdown. In parallel, treatment of osteoblasts with WP631, which prevents Sp1/DNA interactions, strongly inhibited the expression of Fiat and reduced the occupancy of the Fiat promoter proximal GC-box by Sp1. Taken together, our results suggest an interplay between Sp1 and Sp3 as a mechanism involved in the control of Fiat gene expression in osteoblasts.

Lentiviral small hairpin RNA knockdown of macrophage inflammatory protein-1γ ameliorates experimentally induced osteoarthritis in mice

Immune cells are involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). CD4(+) T cells were activated during the onset of OA and induced macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1γ expression and subsequent osteoclast formation. We evaluated the effects of local knockdown of MIP-1γ in a mouse OA model induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection. The mouse macrophage cell lines and osteoclast-like cells generated from immature hematopoietic monocyte/macrophage progenitors of murine bone marrow were cocultured with either receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) or CD4(+) T cells. The levels of MIP-1γ and RANKL in cells and mice were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The osteoclastogenesis was evaluated using tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and cathepsin K staining. OA was induced in one hind-leg knee joint of B6 mice. Lentiviral vector encoding MIP-1γ small hairpin RNA (shRNA) and control vector were individually injected intra-articularly into the knee joints, which were histologically assessed for manifestations of OA. The expression of MIP-1γ and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and the infiltration of CD4(+) T cells, macrophages, and osteoclastogenesis in tissues were examined using immunohistochemistry. CD4(+) T cells were involved in OA by inducing MIP-1γ expression in osteoclast progenitors and the subsequent osteoclast formation. Neutralizing MIP-1γ with a specific antibody abolishes RANKL-stimulated and CD4(+) T-cell-stimulated osteoclast formation. MIP-1γ levels were significantly higher in synovium and the chondro-osseous junction of joints 90 days postsurgery. The number of infiltrated CD4(+) T cells and macrophages and IL-1β expression were reduced in the synovial tissues of mice treated with MIP-1γ shRNA. Histopathological examinations revealed that mice treated with MIP-1γ shRNA had less severe OA than control mice had, as well as decreased osteoclast formation and MMP-13 expression. Locally inhibiting MIP-1γ expression may ameliorate disease progression and provide a new OA therapy.

Axonal-transport-mediated gene transduction in the interior of rat bone

BACKGROUND

Gene transduction has been considered advantageous for the sustained delivery of proteins to specific target tissues. However, in the case of hard tissues, such as bone, local gene delivery remains problematic owing to anatomical accessibility limitations of the target sites.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Here, we evaluated the feasibility of exogenous gene transduction in the interior of bone via axonal transport following intramuscular administration of a nonviral vector. A high expression level of the transduced gene was achieved in the tibia ipsilateral to the injected tibialis anterior muscle, as well as in the ipsilateral sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia. In sciatic transection rats, the gene expression level was significantly lowered in bone.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

These results suggest that axonal transport is critical for gene transduction. Our study may provide a basis for developing therapeutic methods for efficient gene delivery into hard tissues.

Sustained viral gene delivery through core-shell fibers

Although viral gene transfer is efficient in achieving transgene expression for tissue engineering, drawbacks of virus dissemination, toxicity and transient gene expression due to immune response have hindered its widespread application. Many tissue engineering studies thus opt to genetically engineer cells in vitro prior to their introduction in vivo. However, it would be attractive to obviate the need for in vitro manipulation by transducing the infiltrating progenitor cells in situ. This study introduces the fabrication of a virus-encapsulated electrospun fibrous scaffold to achieve sustained and localized transduction. Adenovirus encoding the gene for green fluorescent protein was efficiently encapsulated into the core of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) fibers through co-axial electrospinning and was subsequently released via a porogen-mediated process. HEK 293 cells seeded on the scaffolds expressed high level of transgene expression over a month, while cells inoculated by scaffold supernatant showed only transient expression for a week. RAW 264.7 cells cultured on the virus-encapsulated fibers produced a lower level of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha, suggesting that the activation of macrophage cells by the viral vector was reduced when encapsulated in the core-shell PCL fibers. In demonstrating sustained and localized cell transduction, this study presents an attractive alternative mode of applying viral gene transfer for regenerative medicine.

Bril: a novel bone-specific modulator of mineralization

In the course of attempting to define the bone "secretome" using a signal-trap screening approach, we identified a gene encoding a small membrane protein novel to osteoblasts. Although previously identified in silico as ifitm5, no localization or functional studies had been undertaken on this gene. We characterized the expression patterns and localization of this gene in vitro and in vivo and assessed its role in matrix mineralization in vitro. The bone specificity and shown role in mineralization led us to rename the gene bone restricted ifitm-like protein (Bril). Bril encodes a 14.8-kDa 134 amino acid protein with two transmembrane domains. Northern blot analysis showed bone-specific expression with no expression in other embryonic or adult tissues. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in mouse embryos showed expression localized on the developing bone. Screening of cell lines showed Bril expression to be highest in osteoblasts, associated with the onset of matrix maturation/mineralization, suggesting a role in bone formation. Functional evidence of a role in mineralization was shown by adenovirus-mediated Bril overexpression and lentivirus-mediated Bril shRNA knockdown in vitro. Elevated Bril resulted in dose-dependent increases in mineralization in UMR106 and rat primary osteoblasts. Conversely, knockdown of Bril in MC3T3 osteoblasts resulted in reduced mineralization. Thus, we identified Bril as a novel osteoblast protein and showed a role in mineralization, possibly identifying a new regulatory pathway in bone formation.

Lentiviral vectors for cancer immunotherapy: transforming infectious particles into therapeutics

Lentiviral vectors have emerged as promising tools for both gene therapy and immunotherapy purposes. They exhibit several advantages over other viral systems in that they are less immunogenic and are capable of transducing a wide range of different cell types, including dendritic cells (DC). DC transduced ex vivo with a whole range of different (tumor) antigens were capable of inducing strong antigen-specific T-cell responses, both in vitro and in vivo. Recently, the administration of lentiviral vectors in vivo has gained substantial interest as an alternative method for antigen-specific immunization. This method offers a number of advantages over DC vaccines as the same lentivirus can in principle be used for all patients resulting in a significantly reduced cost and requirement for considerably less expertise for the generation and administration of lentiviral vaccines. By selectively targeting lentiviral vectors to, or restricting transgene expression in certain cell types, selectivity, safety and efficacy can be further improved. This review will focus on the use of direct administration of lentiviral vectors encoding tumor-associated antigens (TAA) for the induction of tumor-specific immune responses in vivo, with a special focus on problems related to the generation of large amounts of highly purified virus and specific targeting of antigen-presenting cells (APC).